Learn The Advantages of Under Cabinet Lighting For New Kitchen Renovations

When planning kitchen renovations you'll be asked to make hundreds of choices. You'll pick cabinets, hardware, fixtures, countertops, appliances flooring and tile. One key choice you'll need to make regards your kitchen lighting.

Many designers talk about lighting the kitchen using layers of light. These can include task lighting, decorative lighting, ambient lighting and accent lighting. Under cabinet lighting covers three of these tasks, beautifully. In fact, under cabinet lighting is a crucial element in your lighting plan and it's often overlooked. It can provide task lighting when preparing food, can function as accent lighting by highlighting your beautiful back splash, and when on a dimmer it can add a beautiful ambiance to your space.

Lighting For a Kitchen Renovation

Let's look at some kitchen renovation choices you'll need to make when choosing the perfect under cabinet lighting for your kitchen!

Choose Your Under Cabinet Light Source

Today, you have several choices when it comes to your light source. Three popular choices are Fluorescent, Xenon and LED.

Fluorescent under cabinet lighting is extremely energy efficient and produces very little heat. This is a great feature depending on what's stored in the cabinet above. Most fluorescent fixtures cannot be controlled by a dimmer switch, but they can be a wonderful affordable option.

Xenon Lights are not as energy efficient as Fluorescent lights, but they can be controlled with a dimmer switch and produce a beautiful warm glow reminiscent of incandescent lights. While they're not cool to the touch, they produce much less heat than halogen lighting. Heat output is important, especially for and food products stored in the cabinets above the lighting, or produce on the counter underneath the lights.

LED lighting is the most energy efficient option. They are dimmable, cool to the touch and can last 50,000 hours between replacements. Their initial price is a little more, but if you figure in the energy savings over time LED lighting makes sense. They give off a brilliant white light which can be stunning in kitchen renovations, and they're even available in a host of colors if you're looking for something more unique.

The Next Step... Puck or Linear Strip Fixtures

The style of fixture is your next consideration. Linear lighting provides uniform well distributed light for your entire countertop and eliminates shadows. However, if you're looking for “pools” of light in more focused areas, puck lights are the perfect choice. Either one looks beautiful! It's really more of a personal choice.

Recessed or Surface Mount for Kitchen Renovations?

Many homeowners are worried that non-recessed under cabinet lights will protrude unattractively from underneath the cabinets. Today, this isn't the case. Newer lighting technology, like LED lights, have made surface mounted fixtures incredibly thin. In most cases, you'll need to stick your head under the cabinet to see the fixture, The good news is that it's hard to go wrong with this decision!

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Finally....Choose Your Power Source

When it comes to a power source, your under cabinet lights can be hardwired to a switch or dimmer, plugged into the wall, or powered by batteries. Decide your preference for the type of installation you prefer and the placement of the lights. If there's not a convenient outlet available, you probably want to go with hard wired lighting.

This also gives you options when it comes to placing them on a dimmer switch so they can serve double duty as task and ambient lighting. If you're on a budget, or just upgrading your existing kitchen, battery operated lighting is a good choice. Many under cabinet lighting styles are available as either hardwired or plugin versions. Ask your kitchen designer or design build team which is the best choice for your kitchen renovation.

Lighting is a key element of kitchen renovations. Under cabinet lighting is a great option with multiple functions that can really make your kitchen design pop. Choosing the right under cabinet lighting comes down to light source, type of fixture and power. Work with your kitchen designer or contractor to choose the perfect under cabinet lights for your kitchen renovation!

Forward Design Build is a residential design-build firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan that is known for its commitment to craftsmanship and communication. We are committed to improving our neighbors quality of life with inspired design and creative remodeling. Our homes are highly functional, exquisitely beautiful, and remarkably comfortable. Contact us to speak with an expert about your new home or remodeling project.